Mikoto Clan
The Mikoto Clan (命一族, Mikoto Ichizoku) is an all but extinct clan who were the last organized group of mystics in the ninja world. They were known to be at constant odds against Yūgure and to be the possessors of the kekkei genkai Reisei. History The emergence of Mikoto Clan directly coincides with the discovery of the Yūgure. In fact, it was the Mikoto Clan that first decided that Yūgure were too dangerous to be merely observed, beginning the war between mystics and the sentient chakra beings. It was during this ongoing war effort that the Mikoto Clan's kekkei genkai first received fame, though amongst other mystics. Due to the power granted by their kekkei genkai the Mikoto began to use their prestige to influence other mystics. As such, the Mikoto were able to the exert a level of dominance and control over other mystics, which was highly undisputed due to continued "threat" of the Yūgure. Furthermore, it was considered an excellent achievement of mystics to be able to marry into the Mikoto Clan, which would have consequences of its own. As the war against the Yūgure waged on for countless generations it soon became evident that the mystics were becoming far outnumbered. Despite their concern for the future the Mikoto Clan was to proud to accept the help from outsiders and instead opted for a radical change in the clan's structure. Fearing that the clan would be completely wiped out the Mikoto Clan offered several groups of mystics to join the clan. This combined with the common practice of marrying into the Mikoto Clan nearly wiped out the genetic lineage Reisei. As the dōjutsu begun to appear at a very low rate and was thought to be extinct several times. As time passed the group, while still officially the Mikoto Clan, became simply a group of mystics without any significant genetic relation. Due to this, and the scarce appearance of Reisei in its members, the clan changed its naming methodology. Instead of everyone bearing the name "Mikoto," only those recognized as potential clan heads would bear "no Mikoto" following their given name. Through an event that has yet to be revealed the vast majority of the clan has been exterminated. Furthermore, the Mikoto Clan were known to be associated with the Okuyama Shrine, which they maintained, before their demise. Abilities As one of the most aggressive mystic clans in history the Mikoto were exceptionally skilled combat. Beginning at a young age member of the Mikoto were trained in various skills in tactics specifically designed for fighting the "Yūgure menace." In fact, a member of the Mikoto Clan is considered to an adult after they have killed their first Yūgure. Like all other mystic clans the Mikoto possessed an unnatural level of proficiency with yin techniques, but additionally were noted for their masterful control over their incredibly potent chakra. The most notable of the Mikoto Clan's abilities stem from their kekkei genkai, Reisei. This powerful bloodline manifested itself in a dōjutsu, occasionally coined the Seizongan (生存眼, "Existence Eye"), an inherent link to the Yin Release, and a unique ability known as chakra weave. Though, do the the events concerning the prolonged war between the Yūgure and the mystics, Reisei has become incredibly rare amongst members of the Mikoto Clan. Currently, it is believed that the only natural living possessor of the kekkei genkai is Nōsei. From a modern perspective it appears as if the Mikoto Clan shares a distant relation to the Sage of Six Paths through the sage's older son. While this claim is highly speculative and nearly impossible to verify, it would aid the explanation of the clan's nature considerably. Members *Hitsuyō no Mikoto (Deceased) *Nōsei *Naoto Trivia *The kanji 命 (mikoto) is usually translated as inochi and usually means "life." Furthermore, naming in Japanese language usually follows the model with the family name followed by the person's given name. The use of mikoto in the fashion of following the person's given name separated by the particle no is only seen with high ranking Shinto Kami and, by extension, the Japanese imperial line. *The aforementioned discrimination on who can bear the suffix no-mikoto is further expressed by how many members of the Mikoto Clan do not have this addition to their name. *The symbol of the Mikoto is the Yin half of the Taijitu. The clan most likely adopted this symbol as a representation of their usage of the Yin Release.